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American Cup 2025 - Open

CompletedTier A

The American Cup 2025 - Open is one of the most prominent and strongest professional chess tournaments in the United States and the world, held in an offline format at the famous Saint Louis Chess Club. The tournament brings together a select group of the best and strongest grandmasters.

ChessMar 15, 2025 – Mar 24, 2025St. Louis, United StatesUnited States$250,000

Format

American Cup – Open Division

Dates: March 15th – 24th

Format: Double Elimination Bracket (Best of 2 matches)

Time Controls

  • Upper Bracket & Grand Final: * 90 minutes + 30-second increment per move (starting from move 1).

  • Lower Bracket & Bracket Reset: * 25 minutes + 10-second increment per move (starting from move 1).

  • Draws: * Mutual draw agreements are strictly prohibited.

Tiebreak System

If a match ends in a tie, the following tiebreak rounds will be played in order:

  1. First Tiebreak Round (Best of 2): * Time Control: 3 minutes + 2-second increment per move.

  2. Second Tiebreak Round (Best of 2): * Time Control: 3 minutes + 2-second increment per move (colors are reversed from the first round).

  3. Armageddon Decider (Single Game): * Time Control: White receives 3 minutes; Black receives 2 minutes. Both players receive a 2-second increment per move.

    • Draw Odds: If the game ends in a draw, Black is declared the winner of the match.